Drawing a Sycamore Leaf

[@lindyk7132]

Had so much fun drawing with you, Lizzie! Thank you for sharing your knowledge, time and great humor, always. 🌸

[@lizzieharper3440]

...and thank you for leaving such a lovely message, Lindsay!

[@songbird5266]

Watching again...drawing is all about looking and seeing. Best lesson art can teach us. Love that thought.

[@LizzieHarperillustrator]

So true! Draw what you see not what you think is there. One of the best things my mum (fine artist) ever told me.

[@debaparnadas2036]

I actually like your chat while drawing, because it sounds like you've got this laser focus going while also having a small breakdown trying to get the details right, it's hilarious

[@LizzieHarperillustrator]

Very perceptive. Story of my professional life! Its just most of the time the breakdown chat is internalised!

[@artsymargo]

I also like your chatter quite a lot. The detail in your instruction is very, very helpful, but it's also the little sparks of spontaneous, uncontrived humor that add so much to the presentation. Thank you from a beginner botanicals watercolorist.

[@runig549]

Thanks for the lesson. And I enjoyed your commentary as well 😊

[@LizzieHarperillustrator]

Glad you enjoyed it! And thankyou.

[@claudiakzn8885]

That you for this. I look forward to seeing you painting this, esp regarding leaving the pencil marks, rubbing the lighter or rubbing some places out completely that it doesn't shine through 😅

[@LizzieHarperillustrator]

Hi Claudia, Well...the film is done and I'll be uploading it at the end of November. In truth, I didn't end up rubbing out the pencil marks. Sometimes I do, often I leave them there to add crispness and definition. With sketchbook studies, I only rarely use an eraser. And it can be annoying on more polished work; you rub out the pencil and it turns out the edges you painted in your pale green or yellow aren't as secure as one would hope! With cow parsley flowers I almost always leave the pencil now as it's more delicate than trying to outline each tiny flower in paint. But isn't it cool that you CAN rub pencil out from under paint? Thanks for your comment. x

[@66chevelle_ss]

Please share another painting video!!!!

[@LizzieHarperillustrator]

I'll do my best! I always have to do them between paid work, and currently there's a bit of a rush on, but thanks so much for the support!

[@66chevelle_ss]

Thank you lizzie! 😘

[@LizzieHarperillustrator]

My pleasure. x

[@songbird5266]

Thank you so much for talking through this. It's good to hear that you struggle with bits, just like I do. It helps me to be more patient with myself, and push through the tedious parts. I love it so much!

[@LizzieHarperillustrator]

Man, we all struggle! It's just dishonest to pretend it's all easy, of course it's not! If it was easy then you'd never get the elation of pushing through the challenge to the other side. And yes, DO be kind to yourself when you're doing art, there's nothing to be gained from shouting at yourself, we're all learning all the time. Such a lovely comment, thank you. x

[@BluBlanketGrl]

I hope you do more videos. I love them. If you did any on Skillshare I'll subscribe there too :)

[@LizzieHarperillustrator]

Morning Laura, thanks for that. If there was less work to do and mroe time for making films I'd def be tempted to set comething up on Skillshare or Patreon. For now it's just something to think about, at the back of my mind. But your kind comment has given a bit mroe weight to the idea, so thanks. x

[@donnamarquart3872]

Your instruction is so helpful technically and I love you’re narrative. This gives me some a calming feeling in this world . From Louisville Kentucky USA. Thank you.

[@LizzieHarperillustrator]

Gosh Donna, you're really in the heat and heart of things in Louisville. Sometimes it feels like the world is spinning just a little too fast. Taking time out to get lost in a leaf can be so helpful. I'm flattered to have helped you find a moment of calm. And thanks for leaving a comment.

[@oohdarling33]

Thank you. I really loved these videos! I would love to see how in the word I tackle more intricate subjects in drawing. Flowers with pretties that is spread organically so it’s hard to “ just follow a pattern”. I have always loved botanical art. A journal of an Edwardian lady is one of my favorite thrifted once. What are your favorite botanical books? I would love to learn how to make more botanical art, I paint mostly portraits and figures. Do you have any favorite botanical artist’s? I would love to learn how to make scientific art, as well as more loos abstract botanical (Without it looking cartoonish or childish). I have found many watercolour artists that do splendid loose landscapes , it not so much botanical. Anyway. Thank you for this video. It made me smile,and brought so much value to my day. I hope your have a wonderful day.

[@LizzieHarperillustrator]

Hiya, and thanks for such lovely compliments. Yes, I have a LOT of heroes in the botanical illustration world. Julia Trickey, Christina Hart-Davis, Janine Goodwin, Jess Shepherd, Martin Allen....these are all aliove now. The the great heros of the past, Durere and his grass, Van Kessel's still lives, Stella Ross-Craig and her amazing line drawings of plants. I talk about all of this in a podcast I did a while back, if you have a bit of time to kill you might find it interesting?: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/natural-reality-lets-go/id1527870175 I love Diary of an Edwardian Lady too! Pretty inspirational when I was starting out. And with loose vs scientific, a lot of that is just to do with looking and recording more or less accurately. For lots of people working on botanical illustration, you could join the Facebook group "Botanical Art for Beginners and Beyond". Then for those practising accurate scientific art, you could always look at joining the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, who have a good website and produce a fab informative magazine. There's a fee to join. Enjoy your research, and your illustrating! Sounds like you're hooked, which can only be a good thing. x

[@ReitemBDO]

It's very beautiful artwork. Great stuff.

[@lizzieharper3440]

Thanks!

[@janineween413]

This is so truly helpful. Thank you! These kinds of leaves have messed me up for ages. I've tried different shapes and seeing exercises. I've just gotten the hang of it, but this helps me to be able to draw it from memory, which I like to do in my sketch book and there's not much to look at...lol

[@LizzieHarperillustrator]

Glad it was helpful! And I know what you mean, you do need to "learn" leaf shapes sometimes in order to be able to recall them properly. x

[@mooms04]

Lizzie I can’t find the painting part of the sycamore leaf video

[@LizzieHarperillustrator]

Hiya, I think this link should take you to it? kzbin.info/www/bejne/rmLNgY1ombBmidE Let me know if there are any problems, and thanks for asking!

[@subratakumarpal8277]

Is it that botanic artists draw leaf trees or small plants? What are the main focus of botanic artists?

[@LizzieHarperillustrator]

Botanical artists will draw whatever our clients ask us to draw! So sometimes I draw things as big as Redwood trees, sometimes things as tiny as moss. Mostly it's wild flowers, but like I say, whatever species we're asked to paint is what we'll end up illustrating. Thanks for the question. x

[@strunzfarahofficialchannel3631]

Been a fan of yours for years. Thank you so very much for this new flush of fantastic videos! And, I, like everyone else, love your banter. I hope you keep making these videos for many years to come.

[@LizzieHarperillustrator]

Wow, thank you! I still find it so odd that people like to hear me wittering on, but I appreciate it. And thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. x

[@SuzanneLegault]

You are such a pleasure to listen to and watching you share your talent is jaw drawping. Thank you so much.

[@LizzieHarperillustrator]

Thank you so much 😀 What a lovely thing to say.

[@richies6420]

Yes, I am struggling with leaves, esp around the veining. Would love to see this painted

[@LizzieHarperillustrator]

Hiya, well, Im planning on uploading the paintign part of this illustration at the end of the month, so watch this space...! And its totally understandable to struggle with leaves, they're brutal task masters!

[@flufy1100]

❤👑 🙏

[@donnamarquart3872]

You look great.

[@LizzieHarperillustrator]

Aww thanks! It's amazing how happy wearing a sequin frock can make you. Cheers Donna.

[@kathryndohring5481]

Thank you so much for posting this! I love your talking while drawing. I have the same conversation going on here with myself. I was not planning on drawing this, but somehow I could not watch without joining in. What fun! I've been watching a lot of the content you've posted and I see you're so generous with your time. I'm so grateful!

[@LizzieHarperillustrator]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for such a lovely comment. x

[@rosemarywade5185]

Dear Lizzie, Thank you so much for this video. It's a masterclass in seeing the secondary and tertiary veins, and mapping them in, and, as such, is incredibly useful.

[@LizzieHarperillustrator]

Glad it was helpful!

[@laraquaglini7752]

This is amazing! Thank you very much for sharing this with us😍 May I ask what kind of pencil are you using?

[@LizzieHarperillustrator]

Abosutely. Its a Pentel P205 mechanical pencil with an 0.5mm lead, H or HB

[@laraquaglini7752]

@@LizzieHarperillustrator Thank you!

[@jaleacar3282]

Thank you👌👏👏👏❤

[@LizzieHarperillustrator]

No problem

[@violetsands]

Would you ever consider tracing around the actual leaf to get the shape? After i wrote that i could hear my drawing lecturer from way back in my uni days telling us that short cuts often lead to long headaches lol! I also remember her telling us, that an artist's job is to look and really see what is happening and not allow our lazy brains to make things up hehehe - she was quite a diminutive french lady with a harsh turn of phrase and a stunning pair of pinch nose glasses! Thank you for your lovely and clear explanation - it has inspired me to go find some horse chestnut leaves and maybe some conkers starting to happen, as there is a tree just up the path from my home.

[@LizzieHarperillustrator]

Hi Tash, I like the sound of your little French art teacher. Now, I wouldn't trace a leaf, but I wouldn't tell people off for doing so. If that gives them a basic shape and the confidence to work into that drawing, why not? It could muck up your paper, of course. And it wont help with the detail of the leaf margins nor the internal veins, but I think anything that gets people drawing has got to be a good idea, so wont veto it. What I would say is that the best way to learn how to see, and record what you see, is to do it. And I guess tracing side-steps that process, so that's a draw back. Your horse chestnut leaf sounds perfect. Remember one leaf of a horse chestnut is the whole thing, all of the 5-7 leaves that point out like different fingers. Each of these is called a leaflet. Same with Ash, one "leaf" is made of all the leaflets going up either side of the stalk, along with the top one(s). Ah the joys of botany. Now watch, your probably some top botanist and I'm teaching my grandmother to such eggs! Enjoy your drawing. x

[@violetsands]

@@LizzieHarperillustrator I am far from being a botanist but i am an enthusiastic gardener and part time twitcher lol! I am a trained ceramicist but during lockdown i have really started exploring the world of watercolours (much much harder than i ever thought) and i find myself drawn time and time again to botanical and naturalist work. Thank you for the information on horse chestnut - i never knew that and now i am off to explore the world of horse chestnuts, leaflets et al :)

[@lvbailey1]

Thank You 🍁

[@shirleyporter9025]

That's just what I needed today!...about to carry on drawing a dahlia which is driving me nuts! I do so much rubbing out, I get into a bit of a pickle.....

[@LizzieHarperillustrator]

Oh Dahlias. I know. You lose track of what petal you're on and then all is lost. Not sure if it'll help, but I did a video of me drawing a dahlia (in ink) some years back: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKummWeoar6sjas Its speeded up, but might be of some use. And keep going! You can do it!